Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Amazon Studios
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for thematic material including a disturbing image
 
Year of Release
2017
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, global refugee crisis, Ai Weiwei, directed by Ai Weiwei, produced by Ai Weiwei, Chin-Chin Yap, Heino Deckert, PG-13, box office gross $520.6K, reviewed by Bilge Ebiri, Sandra Hall, David Stratton, Wendy Ide, James Luxford, Cary Darling, Erin Blackwell, Steven Prokopy, Victor Stiff, Felicia Feaster, Neptune Frost, 18 1/2, H.P Lovecraft’s Witch House, Stay Prayed Up, The Sea Beast, Moon, 66 Questions, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, The Road to Galena, Dangerous Liaisons, Jewel, Warriors on the Field, Fair Play, Peter Bouckaert, Orlando Avis, Israa Abboud, Hiba Abed, Maya Ameratunga
 

Cast & Crew

Ai Weiwei

Peter Bouckaert

Orlando Avis

Israa Abboud

Hiba Abed

Ai Weiwei

Peter Bouckaert

Orlando Avis

Israa Abboud

Hiba Abed

Ai Weiwei – Self
Peter Bouckaert – Self
Orlando Avis – Self
Israa Abboud – Self
Hiba Abed – Self
Maya Ameratunga – Self
Chin-Chin Yap – Producer
Heino Deckert – Producer

 

Ai Weiwei

NA

Ai Weiwei

Chin-Chin Yap

Heino Deckert

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ai Weiwei
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Ai Weiwei, Chin-Chin Yap, Heino Deckert

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride
 
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 14 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Bilge Ebiri

Sandra Hall

David Stratton

Wendy Ide

James Luxford

Spirituality & Health

Sydney Morning Herald

The Australian

Observer (UK)

Little White Lies

HUMAN FLOW
 All Critics (118) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (11)
 By making it clear that those who find themselves in these situations are all ordinary people just like us, Ai Weiwei brings home the sheer, unthinkable monstrousness of their predicament.
 
 March 23, 2020
 
 Bilge Ebiri
 Spirituality & Health
 TOP CRITIC
 Its dazzling drone photography sends you gliding over vast expanses of ocean and desert yet the film itself leads to the inescapable conclusion that the world is shrinking.
 
 March 16, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sandra Hall
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 What he shows us is tragic and horrifying, but he offers no possible solutions and nothing much in the way of analysis.
 
 March 16, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 Through brief but intimate exchanges, Ai brings the individuals behind the statistics into focus.
 
 December 10, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Beautifully filmed testimonies that tear at your soul.
 
 December 8, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 James Luxford
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 The scattershot and lengthy documentary doesn’t attempt to be a news report…but the cumulative impact of its often haunting images brings home the plight of millions of the world’s people.
 
 December 8, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Cary Darling
 Houston Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 [The refugees’] situation is extreme, the risks dire, and they’re real people. Was it obscene to parade them for my consumption, or was my irritation at his constantly inserting himself into the frame like Hitchcock beside the point?
 
 June 4, 2020
 
 Erin Blackwell
 Bay Area Reporter
 [A] movie that is impossible to shake and will hopefully force you to see the world in a very different light. Well worth your time.
 
 May 19, 2020
 
 Steven Prokopy
 Third Coast Review
 Human Flow’s primary goals are to create awareness about the refugee crisis and instill empathy for those affected, and the documentary is successful on both fronts.
 
 March 30, 2020
 
 Victor Stiff
 Goomba Stomp
 Ai’s film, like his art, moves in contrapuntal stanzas between showing the scale of the immigration crisis and its individual victims.
 
 January 16, 2020
 
 Felicia Feaster
 Burnaway.org
 At once inspiring and heartbreaking.
 
 October 18, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Leslie Combemale
 Cinema Siren
 ‘Human Flow’ is a piece as imperfect as indispensable.[Full Review in Spanish]
 
 July 22, 2019
 
 Víctor López G.
 Espinof…

 

Plot
Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Captured over the course of an eventful year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretches across the globe in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Turkey. Human Flow is a witness to its subjects and their desperate search for safety, shelter and justice: from teeming refugee camps to perilous ocean crossings to barbed-wire borders; from dislocation and disillusionment to courage, endurance and adaptation; from the haunting lure of lives left behind to the unknown potential of the future. Human Flow comes at a crucial time when tolerance, compassion and trust are needed more than ever. This visceral work of cinema is a testament to the unassailable human spirit and poses one of the questions that will define this century: Will our global society emerge from fear, isolation, and self-interest and choose a path of openness, freedom, and respect for humanity?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Human Flow.
 

 
Ai-Weiwei.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm,
 
Distributor
A24
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Adventureland Amusement Park, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout, violence, drug use and sexual content
 
Year of Release
2017
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
 
Keyword(s)
starring Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barkhad Abdi, Ben Safdie, Buddy Duress, Souléymane Sy Savané, directed by Joshua Safdie, Ben Safdie, written by Joshua Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Robert Daniels, Donald Clarke, Mark Kermode, Adam Nayman, Kevin Maher, Geoffrey Macnab, R rating, Sebastian Bear-McClard, Oscar Boyson, Paris Kasidokostas Latsis, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Terry Dougas produced by, Connie Nikas, Corey, Dash, Nick Nikas, Ray, Uber Driver characters, New York City, bank robber, prison, criminal underworld, language throughout, drug use, sexual content, violence, A24 distributor
 

Cast & Crew

Robert Pattinson

Connie Nikas

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Corey

Barkhad Abdi

Connie Nikas

Corey

Dash

Nick Nikas

Ray

Robert Pattinson – Connie Nikas
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Corey
Barkhad Abdi – Dash
Ben Safdie – Nick Nikas
Buddy Duress – Ray
Souléymane Sy Savané – Uber Driver
Joshua Safdie – Director, Writer
Ben Safdie – Director, Writer
Sebastian Bear-McClard – Producer
Oscar Boyson – Producer
Paris Kasidokostas Latsis – Producer
Jean-Luc De Fanti – Producer
Terry Dougas – Producer

 

Joshua Safdie

Joshua Safdie

Sebastian Bear-McClard

Oscar Boyson

Paris Kasidokostas Latsis

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Joshua Safdie, Ben Safdie
 
Writer(s)
Joshua Safdie, Ronald Bronstein
 
Producer(s)
Sebastian Bear-McClard, Oscar Boyson, Paris Kasidokostas Latsis, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Terry Dougas

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 49 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Robert Daniels

Donald Clarke

Mark Kermode

Adam Nayman

Kevin Maher

812filmreviews

Irish Times

Observer (UK)

Sight & Sound

Times (UK)

GOOD TIME
 All Critics (239) | Top Critics (65) | Fresh (219) | Rotten (20)
 Good Time isn’t an exuberant or happy-go-lucky emotional ride, rather it’s the cruel irony of white privileged in even the lowest rungs of class.
 
 August 27, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Robert Daniels
 812filmreviews
 TOP CRITIC
 Nick’s character doesn’t exactly develop, but we do see its innards teased gradually apart. Ben Safdie’s touching performance bookends the film with enormous grace.
 
 November 29, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Pattinson is utterly convincing as the Manson-eyed Connie, a manipulative force of nature (alternately mesmerising, repugnant and pathetic) who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake.
 
 November 19, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The masterstroke of the script is how it takes a situation that, in almost any other film of this type, would be played for pathos… and instead strip-mines it for every last iota of moral ambiguity.
 
 November 17, 2017
 
 Adam Nayman
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 The urgent docu-style filming is impressive, but it’s Pattinson’s fearless turn that lingers.
 
 November 17, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The Safdie brothers’ crime thriller Good Time is a chaotic, wildly inventive but increasingly self-indulgent affair.
 
 November 15, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Geoffrey Macnab
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Pattinson exudes pure energy, as though he’s leaped into the role so completely that Connie has taken over.
 
 March 17, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Josh and Benny Safdie recapture the scuzzy immediacy they brought to their 2014 documentary-style junkie drama Heaven Knows What, but this time they inject the action with a thrilling nervous energy and drive.
 
 October 16, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jason Best
 Movie Talk
 “Good Time” grabs the viewer by the back of the head like it has a fist full of hair and drags us along.
 
 July 1, 2020 | Rating: A
 
 Brent McKnight
 The Last Thing I See
 Anchored by a career-best performance by Pattinson, it’s an unforgettable work that will rattle you in all the best ways.
 
 May 12, 2020
 
 Steven Prokopy
 Third Coast Review
 A nerve-wracking crime adventure loaded with thrills, sleazy characters, and a distinctly New York flavour.
 
 March 30, 2020
 
 Victor Stiff
 Goomba Stomp
 Like the revisionist westerns of the 1970s, it takes the conflicted heroes of gangster films and shows them in a different, less flattering light.
 
 January 16, 2020
 
 Chris McCoy
 Memphis Flyer…

 

Plot
Connie Nikas forcibly removes his developmentally disabled brother Nick from a therapy session. The two rob a New York City bank for $65,000. In the getaway car, a dye pack explodes in a money bag, causing the driver to crash. Connie and Nick flee on foot, washing the dye from their clothes in a restaurant restroom. Stopped by police, Nick panics and runs; Nick is arrested while Connie escapes. Connie attempts to secure a bail bond, but needs $10,000 more to get Nick out of jail. He convinces his girlfriend, Corey, to pay with her mother’s credit cards, but her mother cancels the cards. Connie learns that Nick has been hospitalized after a fight with an inmate.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Robert Pattinson delivers a “career-best performance” in Good Time, according to one critic review on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Joshua-Safdie.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Wildbear Entertainment, National Geographic
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some thematic elements and peril
 
Year of Release
2017
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
animated, adventure, Studio Ghibli, The Red Turtle, PG, Michael Dudok de Wit, Valérie Schermann, Christophe Jankovic, Michael Dudok de Wit, Pascale Ferran, box office, $920.1K, critic reviews, reviewed by Donald Clarke, Isabel Stevens, Kate Stables, Nigel Andrews, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, Matt Brunson, Charlotte Harrison, Michael J Casey, Richard Crouse, Leigh Monson, Nicholas Bell, producer, produced by Valérie Schermann, Christophe Jankovic, director, directed by Michael Dudok de Wit, writer, written by Michael Dudok de Wit, Pascale Ferran, actor, Barbara Beretta, Tom Hudson, Emmanuel Garijo, Maud Brethenoux, Elie Tertois, Baptiste Goy, adventure, stranded, man, raft, tropical island, sea turtle, narrative layers, visuals, deceptively simple story, must watch, allegory, life, nature, fate, mortality, dream sequences, shamanistic tale, philosophical, emotional bond, man and animal, magical realism, symbol, oneness, harmony, primal meaning, powerful ending
 

Cast & Crew

Barbara Beretta

Tom Hudson

Emmanuel Garijo

Maud Brethenoux

Elie Tertois

Barbara Beretta

Tom Hudson

Emmanuel Garijo

Maud Brethenoux

Elie Tertois

Barbara Beretta – Voice
Tom Hudson – Voice
Emmanuel Garijo – Voice
Maud Brethenoux – Voice
Elie Tertois – Voice
Baptiste Goy – Voice

 

Michael Dudok de Wit

Michael Dudok de Wit

Valérie Schermann

Christophe Jankovic

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Michael Dudok de Wit
 
Writer(s)
Michael Dudok de Wit, Pascale Ferran
 
Producer(s)
Valérie Schermann, Christophe Jankovic

 

Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
13 wins & 34 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Donald Clarke

Isabel Stevens

Kate Stables

Nigel Andrews

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Irish Times

Sight & Sound

Financial Times

London Evening Standard

Observer (UK)

THE RED TURTLE
 All Critics (169) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (158) | Rotten (11)
 The Red Turtle is a truly delightful film that does its parent company proud. Hugely recommended.
 
 June 14, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The depth and texture on show here – conjured from a surge of pencil marks and watercolour washes – is remarkable. The film is a must for the big screen.
 
 June 5, 2017
 
 Isabel Stevens
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 A precise and elegant fable, which uses magical realism to wind its elements together, The Red Turtle hints rather than hollers about the emotional bond between man and animal.
 
 June 5, 2017
 
 Kate Stables
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 The images are tamely drawn; the tale is wanly evolved.
 
 June 1, 2017 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Nigel Andrews
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Small children often experience the world as simultaneously solid and fantastical; De Wit’s beautiful film tugs us into that mindset.
 
 May 30, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 It is a work of art which transcends boundaries of language, culture, geography and age. It is simply magnificent.
 
 May 28, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Ultimately a meditation not only on what it means to be human but, more significantly, what it means to be as one with the natural order of the world.
 
 August 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 A powerful reflection of life, it’s extraordinary ordinariness and the beauty that can be found within it all.
 
 July 9, 2021
 
 Charlotte Harrison
 Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
 A work of art worthy of Studio Ghibli, and that is saying something.
 
 June 14, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Michael J. Cinema
 Art house animation, a treat for the eyes as well as the brain.
 
 February 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse
 If you’re a fan of animation, The Red Turtle is still worth checking out as a visual spectacle alone. As it stands, though, this is a decent little film that isn’t quite as profound as its creators or their pedigree would have you believe.
 
 September 23, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Leigh Monson
 Substream Magazine
 Effortless and simplistic, The Red Turtle is an accomplished debut from Michael Dudok de Wit.
 
 September 12, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nicholas Bell
 IONCINEMA.com…

 

Plot
Surrounded by the immense and furious ocean, a shipwrecked mariner battles for his life with the relentless towering waves. On the brink of demise, eventually, the man will find himself washed ashore on a deserted tropical island of sandy beaches, timid animal inhabitants, and a gracefully swaying bamboo forest. Alone, famished, yet determined to break free from this Eden-like prison, the stranded sailor summons up the strength to build a small raft, and sets off on a perilous journey in the wide open sea; however, an indistinguishable adversary prevents him from escaping. Never giving up hope, each day, the exhausted man attempts to make a new, sturdier, and more improved raft; nevertheless, the sea is vast with wonderful and mysterious creatures, and the island’s only red turtle won’t let the weary survivor escape that easily. Could this be the heartless enemy?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about The Red Turtle.
 

 
Michael-Dudok-de-Wit.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
BRON Studios, Bron Creative MACRO
 
Distributor
Amazon Studios, Roadside Attractions
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout and some sexual content
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, C.J Wilson, Heather Burns, directed by Kenneth Lonergan, written by Kenneth Lonergan, drama, R rating, box office gross $47.7M, reviewed by K Austin Collins, Candice Frederick, Wenlei Ma, David Stratton, Nick Pinkerton, Tara Brady, Brian Eggert, James Luxford, David Gonzalez, Hosea Rupprecht, Matt Brunson, affecting drama, full-bodied characters, grief, family, self-imposed solitude, fishing village, Boston, janitor, teenage nephew, guardian, working-class family, past, tragedy, community, Michelle Williams underused, authentic, rewarding, Oscar-winning performance, emotional punch, masterful screenplay, direction, unforgettable performances, reality, top horror movies, MCU movies ranked by Tomatometer, renewed and cancelled TV shows 2022, best Netflix series and shows
 

Cast & Crew

Casey Affleck

Michelle Williams

Kyle Chandler

Lucas Hedges

C.J. Wilson

Lee Chandler

Randi Chandler

Joe Chandler

Patrick Chandler

George

Casey Affleck – Lee Chandler
Michelle Williams – Randi Chandler
Kyle Chandler – Joe Chandler
Lucas Hedges – Patrick Chandler
C.J. Wilson – George
Heather Burns – Jill

 

Kenneth Lonergan

Kenneth Lonergan

Matt Damon

Kimberly Steward

Chris Moore

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kenneth Lonergan
 
Writer(s)
Kenneth Lonergan
 
Producer(s)
Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin J. Walsh

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
129 wins & 269 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

K. Austin Collins

Candice Frederick

Wenlei Ma

David Stratton

Nick Pinkerton

The Ringer

Reel Talk Online

News.com.au

The Australian

Sight & Sound

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
 All Critics (356) | Top Critics (74) | Fresh (342) | Rotten (14)
 In Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan again explores the depth of grief.
 
 August 10, 2017
 
 K. Austin Collins
 The Ringer
 TOP CRITIC
 Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s MANCHESTER BY THE SEA made me leave the theater feeling empty… it could easily be filed away as just another white male angst narrative.
 
 March 22, 2017 | Rating: C+
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 Manchester by the Sea may be a potent examination of grief, family and self-imposed solitude, but it’s also oddly life-affirming and uplifting.
 
 January 31, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Wenlei Ma
 News.com.au
 TOP CRITIC
 Not a moment in the film is wasted; though on the long side, this is from start to finish a rewarding and strangely beautiful drama with a conclusion that is immensely satisfying in its touching understatement.
 
 January 27, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 With an outstandingly icy Casey Affleck as a mournful loner drawn back into his old fold, Kenneth Lonergan’s New England community study is a masterful, darkly American account of a heart in the dead of January.
 
 January 20, 2017
 
 Nick Pinkerton
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 In Manchester by the Sea, men are soulful and women are shallow, a gender gap that wounds this otherwise compelling drama.
 
 January 12, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Lonergan balances unrecoverable anguish with tender warmth in Manchester by the Sea, a film that considers a character unable to forgive himself and hesitant to engage with anyone ever again.
 
 April 5, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 A showcase in the power of understatement…Manchester By The Sea achieves great impact by feeling devastatingly real.
 
 February 18, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
 James Luxford
 City AM
 Manchester by the Sea is a study of guilt and the complexity of recovering from it. A modern day tragedy that will surely bring tears but also bring hope that Lee may one day say goodbye to his past and forgive himself.
 
 February 14, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Gonzalez
 Reel Talk Inc.
 Manchester by the Sea defies description in a really, really good way. It’s not flashy or formulaic in the way some fish-out-of-water stories are. Instead, the story of a quietly suffering man
 
 August 26, 2021
 
 Hosea Rupprecht
 Pauline Center for Media Studies
 The sort of understated, under-the-radar drama that can use all the help it can get to stand out in an increasingly overcrowded marketplace.
 
 August 17, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Arguably 2016’s most notable film about loss and grief, one that tells its story with the scope of an epic while never leaving the Boston area.
 
 April 13, 2021
 
 Ian Brill
 Battleship Pretension…

 

Plot
Lee Chandler is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only sibling and doubts about raising a teenager weren’t enough, his return to the past re-opens an unspeakable tragedy.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Casey Affleck’s performance as Lee Chandler is described as “amazing” and “worth its weight in Oscar gold.”
 

 
Kenneth-Lonergan.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Orion-Nova Productions,
 
Distributor
Walt Disney
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Reynisfjara, Iceland
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Felicity Jones

Diego Luna

Alan Tudyk

Donnie Yen

Wen Jiang

Jyn Erso

Cassian Andor

K-2SO

Chirrut Îmwe

Baze Malbus

Felicity Jones – Jyn Erso
Diego Luna – Cassian Andor
Alan Tudyk – K-2SO
Donnie Yen – Chirrut Îmwe
Wen Jiang – Baze Malbus
Ben Mendelsohn – Orson Krennic
Director – Gareth Edwards
Producers – Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel
Writers – Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy

 

Gareth Edwards

Chris Weitz

Kathleen Kennedy

Allison Shearmur

Simon Emanuel

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Gareth Edwards
 
Writer(s)
Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy
 
Producer(s)
Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
24 wins & 85 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Kristen Lopez

Candice Frederick

Tim Hayes

Christopher Orr

David Sexton

Culturess

Reel Talk Online

Sight & Sound

The Atlantic

London Evening Standard

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
 All Critics (461) | Top Critics (91) | Fresh (388) | Rotten (73)
 There are Suicide Squad-level moments of confusion, weak characters and regressive storytelling that left me downright angry.
 
 November 20, 2017
 
 Kristen Lopez
 Culturess
 TOP CRITIC
 More proof that diverse casts can actually lead to big box office numbers.
 
 April 1, 2017 | Rating: 1-5 stars
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 Apart from Ben Mendelsohn’s weaselly Orson Krennic [and perhaps Donnie Yen]… the faces are unmemorable and the characters unexceptional, their meaningful glances unearned.
 
 December 28, 2016
 
 Tim Hayes
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Rogue One is largely free of the weight of myth and expectation that were borne by The Force Awakens, and this turns out to be both a good and a bad thing.
 
 December 18, 2016
 
 Christopher Orr
 The Atlantic
 TOP CRITIC
 Not just a dull but an oppressive experience, being force-fed a corporate product: a film that never comes alive, with none of the characters properly developed, none of the relationships gelling, the very adventure formulaic.
 
 December 18, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Sexton
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Edwards appears to have elevated what could have been simply a cash-in into something that feels essential, even magical. It has the distinct smell of victory.
 
 December 18, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Diverting and well-made though the picture may be, Rogue One ultimately serves no real purpose beyond fleshing-out established material.
 
 April 5, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 An incredible cast in a well executed Star Wars film. The representation is beautiful and that ending!! Memorable.
 
 April 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rosa Parra
 Latinx Lens
 Rogue One ultimately connects Episodes III and IV in ways we could have never imagined. A film that can be seen in theaters and after, you can go home and watch its sequel instantly in the comfort of your own home.
 
 February 14, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Gonzalez
 Reel Talk Inc.
 It’s rather stirring to watch the bricks of the Rebellion be laid, and see, outside of the Skywalker story, why taking down the Empire meant so much to all who toiled on the front lines.
 
 February 11, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 615 Film
 Its much more than a simple spin-off, is one of the highest chapters of the entire saga. It takes as its starting point a simple dialogue from Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope and transforms it into a heroic 2-hour requiem[Full review in Spanish]
 
 January 2, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Luis Bond
 Globovision
 The set-pieces — particularly the finale at an Imperial based on the tropical planet Scarif — have a grittiness to them that we haven’t seen since that battle on Hoth.
 
 August 28, 2021 | Rating: A-
 
 Kip Mooney
 College Movie Review…

 

Plot
All looks lost for the Rebellion against the Empire as they learn of the existence of a new super weapon, the Death Star. Once a possible weakness in its construction is uncovered, the Rebel Alliance must set out on a desperate mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. The future of the entire galaxy now rests upon its success.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Gareth-Edwards.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
FM Productions, Last Waltz Inc.,
 
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some language
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Musical/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K Simmons, Finn Wittrock, directed by Damien Chazelle, written by Damien Chazelle, produced by Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt, Gary Gilbert, musical, romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Christy Lemire, Kambole Campbell, Kristen Lopez, Soraya Nadia McDonald, K Austin Collins, Angie Han, Brian Eggert, David Gonzalez, Luis Bond, PG-13, Lionsgate Films, DTS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, scope, 2.35:1, Sebastian, Mia, Keith, Laura, Boss, Greg
 

Cast & Crew

Ryan Gosling

Emma Stone

John Legend

Rosemarie DeWitt

J.K. Simmons

Sebastian

Mia

Keith

Laura

Boss

Ryan Gosling – Sebastian
Emma Stone – Mia
John Legend – Keith
Rosemarie DeWitt – Laura
J.K. Simmons – Boss
Finn Wittrock – Greg

 

Damien Chazelle

Damien Chazelle

Fred Berger

Jordan Horowitz

Marc Platt

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Damien Chazelle
 
Writer(s)
Damien Chazelle
 
Producer(s)
Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt, Gary Gilbert

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 6 Oscars
243 wins & 297 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Cinematography Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Production Design Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Set Decoration Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Original Score Winners, Oscar Original Song Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Christy Lemire

Kambole Campbell

Kristen Lopez

Soraya Nadia McDonald

K. Austin Collins

What the Flick?!

One Room With A View

Culturess

Andscape

The Ringer

LA LA LAND
 All Critics (469) | Top Critics (101) | Fresh (425) | Rotten (44)
 It is joyful. It leaps off the screen.
 
 October 10, 2018
 
 Christy Lemire
 What the Flick?!
 TOP CRITIC
 A gorgeously photographed, unashamedly nostalgic, bittersweet marriage of the modern and the traditional, proving Chazelle’s fantastic eye for musical sequences.
 
 August 25, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Kambole Campbell
 One Room With A View
 TOP CRITIC
 With its candy-coated color palette and Emma Stone’s earth-shattering performance, there’s plenty of love found within La La Land.
 
 November 20, 2017
 
 Kristen Lopez
 Culturess
 TOP CRITIC
 It makes it more difficult to just let something like La La Land just passively wash over you when, however well-intentioned, the film hearkens back to a time when black humanity onscreen was deliberately hamstrung.
 
 September 26, 2017
 
 Soraya Nadia McDonald
 Andscape
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie has charm, at least, if nothing else. And as an attempt to pay homage to a vanishing world, La La Land is as dutiful as it is endearing - sweet, if a little sour, too.
 
 August 10, 2017
 
 K. Austin Collins
 The Ringer
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a story as old as Hollywood and jazz, and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone feel like a pairing for the ages.
 
 June 13, 2017 | Rating: 8.5/10
 
 Angie Han
 Slashfilm
 TOP CRITIC
 La La Land may seem romantic and wistful, but from the opening sequence onward it balances reality and romance, the frustrating quality of every-day life and the false allure of Hollywood.
 
 April 5, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 When discussing the great musicals of all time, La La Land is a film that makes us dreamers remember that anything is possible. Not only can it be added to the list of greatest musicals ever made but to the top of any list as the best film of 2016.
 
 February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 David Gonzalez
 Reel Talk Inc.
 Chazelle proved he’s not a One Hit Wonder director and brought a huge and ambitious production to fruition, going from the austerity of Whiplash to the bombast of Hollywood musicals [Full review in Spanish]
 
 January 2, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Luis Bond
 Globovision
 The Power of Love vs. White Saviors
 
 October 2, 2021
 
 Don Shanahan
 Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast
 As effervescent as the finest bottle of champagne, La La Land is an intoxicating motion picture that should particularly please anyone whose heart skips a beat whenever Fred dances on the late show or Judy sings on TCM.
 
 August 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 It is a simple tale told with such visual inventiveness it reminds audience the power inherent in cinema.
 
 April 13, 2021
 
 Ian Brill
 Battleship Pretension…

 

Plot
Aspiring actress serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and jazz musician Sebastian scrapes by playing cocktail-party gigs in dingy bars. But as success mounts, they are faced with decisions that fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about La La Land, but it does mention that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone provide “mesmerizing performances.”
 

 
Damien-Chazelle.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Production company
 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
: Rated PG-13 for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language and suggestive material
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Western
 
Keyword(s)
starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Horst Bucholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, directed by John Sturges, written by William Roberts, Western, box office performance, budget, reviewed by James Powers, Dave Kehr, Variety Staff, Chris Petit, Howard Thompson, Marjorie Baumgarten, Mike Massie, Rachel Wagner, PJ Nabarro, Patrick Nabarro, Tony Sloman, Simon Miraudo, MPAA rating, produced by John Sturges, gunslingers, bandits, Mexican village, Calvera, outlaws, Seven Samurai, Hollywood stars, thematic richness, action, adventure, Elmer Bernstein, iconic score, defending, farming village, impossible odds, risk, life, excitement, shootouts, redemption, character development, ensemble cast, entertainment, gritty, thought-provoking, fun, atmosphere, iconic
 

Cast & Crew

Yul Brynner

Chris Larabee Adams

Eli Wallach

Calvera

Steve McQueen

Chris Larabee Adams

Calvera

Vin Tanner

Chico

Bernardo O’Reilly

Yul Brynner – Chris Larabee Adams
Eli Wallach – Calvera
Steve McQueen – Vin Tanner
Horst Bucholz – Chico
Charles Bronson – Bernardo O’Reilly
Robert Vaughn – Lee

 

John Sturges

William Roberts

John Sturges

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Sturges
 
Writer(s)
William Roberts
 
Producer(s)
John Sturges

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 12 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

James Powers

Dave Kehr

Variety Staff

Chris Petit

Howard Thompson

Hollywood Reporter

Chicago Reader

Variety

Time Out

New York Times

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
 About two-thirds of the film is good, tough, unromantic period western. About one-third is sentimental nonsense and it bushwhacks the remainder… In adding so-called commercial values, a good picture has been sabotaged.
 
 September 11, 2018
 
 James Powers
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 What was wonderful in the Kurosawa film — the recruiting and training of the mercenaries — is just dead time here.
 
 September 21, 2016
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 There is a heap of fine acting and some crackling good direction by John Sturges mostly in the early stages, during formation of the central septet.
 
 May 21, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Sturges’ remake of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is always worth a look, mainly for the performances of McQueen, Bronson, Coburn and Vaughn.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Chris Petit
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Even with some highly fetching Mexican scenery in color, this United Artists release, thrusting Yul Brynner well to the fore, is a pallid, pretentious and overlong reflection of the Japanese original.
 
 May 10, 2005
 
 Howard Thompson
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The basic outline was adapted from Kurosawa’s classic Seven Samurai and made into an American Western by one of the great innovators of the genre, John Sturges.
 
 March 10, 2003
 
 Marjorie Baumgarten
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 A touch of romance, a bit of humor, plenty of suspense, and Bernstein’s theme music at all the right spots.
 
 August 27, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 [Overall] an entertaining film with engaging action and performances.
 
 April 11, 2019 | Rating: B
 
 Rachel Wagner
 rachelsreviews.net
 Probably the most enjoyable aspect of the film is watching the now legendary names get introduced to the story in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’-style recruitment vignettes.
 
 November 4, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 Director John Sturges was extremely fortunate in securing a near-perfect cast for this enduringly popular western reworking of Japanese classic Seven Samurai.
 
 September 21, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Tony Sloman
 Radio Times
 Bernstein’s score is one for the ages. This film, however, is not.
 
 October 20, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Simon Miraudo
 Quickflix
 One of the most iconic Westerns.
 
 December 29, 2011 | Rating: 8/10
 
 James Plath
 Movie Metropolis…

 

Plot
Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The Magnificent Seven boasts an all-star cast including Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson.
 

 
John-Sturges.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Red Envelope Entertainment, Representational Pictures,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
Sully, Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey, Delphi Harrington, Mike O’Malley, Jamey Sheridan, directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Todd Komarnicki, drama, biography, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Kristen Lopez, Nigel Andrews, Wendy Ide, Ethan Vestby, Tara Brady, David Sexton, Brian Eggert, Cory Woodroof, Matt Brunson, Michael J Casey, Richard Crouse, Joanne Laurier, produced by Clint Eastwood, Frank Marshall, Allyn Stewart, Tim Moore, Warner Bros Pictures, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, US Airways Flight 1549, Hudson River, emergency landing, investigation, national hero, NTSB board, court room, flashbacks, CGI, family problems
 

Cast & Crew

Tom Hanks

Aaron Eckhart

Valerie Mahaffey

Delphi Harrington

Mike O’Malley

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger

Jeff Skiles

Diane Higgins

Lucille Palmer

Charles Porter

Tom Hanks – Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger
Aaron Eckhart – Jeff Skiles
Valerie Mahaffey – Diane Higgins
Delphi Harrington – Lucille Palmer
Mike O’Malley – Charles Porter
Jamey Sheridan – Ben Edwards
Clint Eastwood – Director
Clint Eastwood, Frank Marshall, Allyn Stewart, Tim Moore – Producers
Todd Komarnicki – Writer

 

Clint Eastwood

Todd Komarnicki

Clint Eastwood

Frank Marshall

Allyn Stewart

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Clint Eastwood
 
Writer(s)
Todd Komarnicki
 
Producer(s)
Clint Eastwood, Frank Marshall, Allyn Stewart, Tim Moore

 

Film Festivals
Telluride
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
14 wins & 36 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Kristen Lopez

Nigel Andrews

Wendy Ide

Ethan Vestby

Tara Brady

Culturess

Financial Times

Observer (UK)

Little White Lies

Irish Times

SULLY
 All Critics (349) | Top Critics (74) | Fresh (296) | Rotten (53)
 Director Clint Eastwood, brings his story to the big screen with the mushy simplicity of creamed corn.
 
 November 20, 2017
 
 Kristen Lopez
 Culturess
 TOP CRITIC
 Sully is about the man who landed the plane on the Hudson. Who better for Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger than Tom Hanks in white hair and matching moustache?
 
 December 27, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nigel Andrews
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Eastwood handles the action sequences with the same cool-headed efficiency as Sully brought to his piloting – you suspect that Eastwood felt a kinship with this no-frills, no-nonsense man who was just doing his job.
 
 December 4, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 One of 2016’s very best.
 
 December 2, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Ethan Vestby
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 Eastwood is not a showy filmmaker and almost everyone on the planet will know the movie’s outcome. That makes it all the more remarkable that there are plenty of white-knuckle moments.
 
 December 2, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 How do you make a full-length feature film about the “miracle on the Hudson”, dramatic and inspiring as it may be? Easy. You get Clint Eastwood, 86, to direct.
 
 December 2, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 David Sexton
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Eastwood made a wise casting choice, and Hanks makes the transparent qualities of Sully work more than they should.
 
 April 11, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 All in all, Sully is an achievement for Hanks and another reminder that even at 86, Eastwood is still one of Americas more consistent directors.
 
 February 11, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 Curnblog
 Hanks delivers a grounded performance in service of a man whose heroism took flight at the right moment.
 
 August 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Like his hero, Eastwood presents his movie with safe calculation, relying on experience to guide him to a safe landing. It works.
 
 June 26, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Michael J. Cinema
 A well-constructed, occasionally exciting old-fashioned story of heroism in the face of modern cynicism.
 
 March 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse
 Eastwood brings to bear his greatest strength, a certain feeling for the American “common man,” especially if he is a skilled professional and acting alone…
 
 February 22, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site…

 

Plot
On Thursday, January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all one hundred fifty-five aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Tom Hanks delivers a grounded performance in service of a man whose heroism took flight at the right moment.
 

 
Clint-Eastwood.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Produzioni Europee Associate, Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas, Constantin Film
 
Distributor
Vitagraph Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Aquarius, drama, Portuguese (Brazil), Kleber Mendonça Filho, Saïd Ben Saïd, Emilie Lesclaux, Michel Merkt, Walter Salles, Carlos Diegues, Sonia Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Humberto Carrão, Carla Ribas, Zoraide Coleto, Irandhir Santos, box office, budget, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Tara Brady, Ryan Gilbey, Mark Kermode, Jonathan Romney, Kate Muir, Aaron Pinkston, Film Companion Staff, Dustin Chang, Nicholas Bell, Grant Watson, Laura Davis, MPAA rating, tenant, developers, space, identity, music critic, apartment, Recife, Brazil, Dolby Digital, Vitagraph Films, sound mix
 

Cast & Crew

Sonia Braga

Maeve Jinkings

Humberto Carrão

Carla Ribas

Zoraide Coleto

Clara

Ana Paula

Diego

Cleide

Ladjane

Sonia Braga – Clara
Maeve Jinkings – Ana Paula
Humberto Carrão – Diego
Carla Ribas – Cleide
Zoraide Coleto – Ladjane
Irandhir Santos – Roberval
Kleber Mendonça Filho – Director/Writer
Saïd Ben Saïd – Producer
Emilie Lesclaux – Producer
Michel Merkt – Producer
Walter Salles – Producer
Carlos Diegues – Producer

 

Kleber Mendonça Filho

Kleber Mendonça Filho

Saïd Ben Saïd

Emilie Lesclaux

Michel Merkt

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kleber Mendonça Filho
 
Writer(s)
Kleber Mendonça Filho
 
Producer(s)
Saïd Ben Saïd, Emilie Lesclaux, Michel Merkt, Walter Salles, Carlos Diegues

 

Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Tara Brady

Ryan Gilbey

Mark Kermode

Jonathan Romney

The Hindu

Irish Times

New Statesman

Observer (UK)

Sight & Sound

AQUARIUS
 All Critics (112) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (3)
 Sonia Braga is awe-inspiring.
 
 July 24, 2018
 
 Namrata Joshi
 The Hindu
 TOP CRITIC
 This clever, nuanced drama doubles as a political allegory concerning Brazilian corruption. But it would matter, regardless. A dawning, as the similarly-titled song has it.
 
 April 26, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Aquarius is a leisurely character study that is also urgently political in its treatment of race, class and commerce.
 
 March 29, 2017
 
 Ryan Gilbey
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 A performance of tremendous wit, vitality and lusty defiance by Snia Braga drives Brazilian film-maker Kleber Mendona Filho’s remarkable second feature.
 
 March 26, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Without over-explaining, the film suggests that beneath the elegance of Boa Viagem and, by implication, respectable Brazilian society, there runs an undertow of filth.
 
 March 24, 2017
 
 Jonathan Romney
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Sonia Braga is wonderful as a retired music writer who lives alone in a gorgeous old apartment by the sea in Recife, Brazil.
 
 March 23, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kate Muir
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Filho films their intrusions in the manner of a thriller, situating us in a limited point-of-view that heightens intrusions to the frame or sound design without fully explicating them.
 
 January 4, 2021
 
 Aaron Pinkston
 Battleship Pretension
 One of the finest Brazilian films of the last decade.
 
 October 28, 2020
 
 Film Companion Staff
 Film Companion
 Dense and richly textured, Aquarius works as a strong anthropological study of changing society…
 
 July 17, 2020
 
 Dustin Chang
 ScreenAnarchy
 This subtle cauldron, divided into three distinct segments, sets on simmer until a powerful third act sets the anger ablaze.
 
 October 2, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nicholas Bell
 IONCINEMA.com
 This is an intelligent, carefully measured drama boasting multiple layers of story and emotion.
 
 May 20, 2019 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Grant Watson
 Fiction Machine
 Aquarius is a middling effort let down by some unresolved metaphors, but redeemed by Sônia Braga’s verve.
 
 March 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Laura Davis
 One Room With A View…

 

Plot
Los Angeles, 1967. Welcome to the Summer of Love. Aquarius stars David Duchovny as Sam Hodiak, a seasoned homicide detective whose investigations dovetail with the activities of real life cult leader Charles Manson in the years before he masterminded the most notorious killings of a generation, the Tate-LaBianca murders. A small time but charismatic leader with big plans, Manson has begun to build up his “family”, recruiting vulnerable young men and women to join his cause. Teaming up with a young cop who will help him infiltrate Manson’s circle, Hodiak is forced to see things through the questioning eyes of someone who came of age amongst the current anti-establishment counterculture. Edgy, addictive and visually stunning, the Age of Aquarius is here.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Sônia Braga delivers a “powerful performance” in Aquarius, according to Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Kleber-Mendonça-Filho.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Wing Nut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for action/peril including gunplay, some thematic elements and rude humor
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Angela Galuppo, Tony Hale, Tod Fennell, Tony Robinow, Paul Giamatti, Mark Camacho, directed by Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci, written by Franck Ekinci, Benjamin Legrand, Adventure, PG, Marc Jousset, Franck Ekinci, box office gross $294.3K, reviewed by Roxana Hadadi, Dmitry Samarov, Tirdad Derakhshani, Bill Goodykoontz, Stephanie Merry, Ty Burr, Michael J Casey, Leo Brady, Grant Watson, Daniel Barnes, Rachel Wagner, Asia Frey, colorful imagination, talking cat, quest, missing parents, 1941 Paris, steampunk-inspired world, gas masks, Hollywood clichés, hand-drawn 2D animation, ecological message, Japanese anime, Jules Verne, humanoid lizards, robot armor, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates
 

Cast & Crew

Angela Galuppo

Tony Hale

Tod Fennell

Tony Robinow

Paul Giamatti

April

Darwin

Julius

Pops

Pizoni

Angela Galuppo – April (Voice)
Tony Hale – Darwin (Voice)
Tod Fennell – Julius (Voice)
Tony Robinow – Pops (Voice)
Paul Giamatti – Pizoni (Voice)
Mark Camacho – Paul (Voice)
Christian Desmares – Director
Franck Ekinci – Director, Producer, Writer
Marc Jousset – Producer
Benjamin Legrand – Writer

 

Christian Desmares

Franck Ekinci

Marc Jousset

Franck Ekinci

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci
 
Writer(s)
Franck Ekinci, Benjamin Legrand
 
Producer(s)
Marc Jousset, Franck Ekinci

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 8 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Roxana Hadadi

Dmitry Samarov

Tirdad Derakhshani

Bill Goodykoontz

Stephanie Merry

Punch Drunk Critics

Chicago Reader

Philadelphia Inquirer

Arizona Republic

Washington Post

APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD
 All Critics (59) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (2)
 As much as April and the Extraordinary World veers around a little too often and gets too self-indulgent with its exposition, the film effectively builds a whole other steampunk-inspired world in which viewers can get lost, gas masks and all.
 
 January 9, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Roxana Hadadi
 Punch Drunk Critics
 TOP CRITIC
 Should appeal to precocious children… Adults may find it as derivative and simplistic as the steampunk aesthetic to which it’s indebted, but for a gateway to more resonant cinema and literature, you could do worse.
 
 May 5, 2016
 
 Dmitry Samarov
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 April and the Extraordinary World will have your imagination doing somersaults and cartwheels.
 
 April 15, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Tirdad Derakhshani
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 “April and the Extraordinary World” is a visual delight, an animated French steampunk adventure that is smart, exciting and wonderfully weird.
 
 April 14, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Bill Goodykoontz
 Arizona Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 In truth, the story is practically beside the point with all the spectacular visuals.
 
 April 7, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Stephanie Merry
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 A delightfully deranged steampunk adventure.
 
 April 7, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Ty Burr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Feels fresh and new.
 
 August 3, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Michael J. Cinema
 April and the Extraordinary World is a pure delight of wonder and invention.
 
 February 2, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Leo Brady
 AMovieGuy.com
 An excellent animated feature with likeable characters, stunning and creative imagery, and a fast-paced and nicely complex storyline.
 
 May 17, 2019 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Grant Watson
 Fiction Machine
 Pure enjoyment, but then I’ve always been in the bag for humanist sci-fi, lizards wearing robot armor, unusual and meticulous production design, and adventure stories where one of the heroes is a brainy woman and the other is a talking cat.
 
 April 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Daniel Barnes
 Dare Daniel
 I loved it, and I think it is a film that will improve with each viewing.
 
 February 11, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Rachel Wagner
 Rotoscopers
 It is compelling, not convoluted, and, best of all, takes place in an imagined steampunk world that is wondrous to behold.
 
 August 23, 2018
 
 Asia Frey
 Lagniappe (Mobile, AL)…

 

Plot
In 1941 Paris, a teenage girl and her talking cat embark on a quest to find her missing parents in the steampunk-inspired world of April and the Extraordinary World.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about April and the Extraordinary World.
 

 
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